Hammock-support.



L. I. BECKWITH.

HAMMOCK SUPPORT.

APPLICATloN FILED AUG.13,1914.

1,163,637. Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

r Il .Louis I. BECKWITH, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

iIArJiMocK-SUPPGRT.

Specification of Letters Patent. i VPatented Der?. 14, i915.

Application led August 13, 1914. Serial No. 856,685.

T 0 all whom t may concern Be it known that I, Louis I. BECKWITH, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Boston, in the county ofVSui-'olk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hammock-Supports, of which the following is a specifica,- tion.

This invention relates to folding stands for hammocks, and is designed 'as an im-y provemeut on the stand shown and described in United States VLetters Patent No. 1,069,102, granted to me August 5, 1913.

It consists chiefly of a novel and economical form of stand constructed with a minimum of parts, and improved methods of coupling said parts together.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an embodiment of the invention,- Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, of one end of a stand embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a cross'section on the line --x of F ig. l, looking to the right; Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line i/-y of Fig. 1 looking to the right; and Fig. 4L is an end elevation of the legs when folded together.

The top bar a and four legs o are each constructed of a length of angle iron, and each part is wholly formed out of a single piece of metal. Each leg o is pivotally connected to the top bar o by a brace or link o, which is permanently pivoted at one end to the leg at o and at the other end at c2 to the shank cl of the hook e, which shank is fastened to the top bar a.. These links o serve as braces to stien the frame when set up in operative position, and as pivotal connections on which the legs and top bar are folded together when the frame is knocked down.

The legs Z) of angle iron are pivotally connected together near their upper ends at b. The upper end of each leg o between the pivot hole and the tip, is stamped out to form a lengthwise extending finger f. When the legs b are folded together, the fingers f overlie one another (Fig. 4) when the legs are spread out, the fingers f are crossed and expanded (Fig.

Near each end of the angle iron top bar a is a transverse slot o', large enough tore-V ceive the fingers f when said fingers are folded together, and to allow expansion of said fingers when the legs are spread apart. This slot a and the fingers f form a lock-i together. To knock down the stand, the legs Y are folded together, the fingers withdrawn from the slot, and the legs then swung back on the links c against the top bar a.

At a suitable distance from the end of the top bar a is a slot a2 through the ridge of the top bar. This slot o2 preferably tapers slightly from its upper end downwardly to a restricted opening at the under side of the angle iron, and forms a mortise to receive one end of a tenon on the shank (Z.

The hook member e is stamped out of one piece of fiat metal, and consists of the hook proper, e, at one end, the flat shank CZ in the middle, and a tenon or tongue d at the other end. This tongue d is fitted to engage the mortise or slot a2, and when suitably headed over at its end, rigidly and securely fastens the hook member to the top bar a with'- out the use of bolts, nuts, screws, etc. In place of a single tongue d and single slot o2 two or more tongues and slots could be used, each tongue separately headed over and secured in its slot. Thus, a single sheet metal punching forms the hook @.for the hammock, and the bracket for the brace o, and furnishes its own fastening means.

This simple construction, together with the separable lock, the members of which are merely punched out from the body of the angle iron top bar and angle iron legs, affords a most simple and economical, and at the same time a mosteiiicient hammock frame, containing the fewest possible number of parts, free from castings, screws, bolts, etc., and wholly made of stamped or punched out parts.

While I have shown the two integral iingers f, f, as overlying each other when the legs are in closed position, as my preferred form, it will be understood that I do not intend to limit my invention to that specific construction, but Vthat any relative arrangement of said fingers, whether superposed or not, such that they will be in position to pass through their recesses in the top bar when the legs are closed together and will move into docking positionV when the" legs are spread apart, is Within the contemplation of the claims.Y f f Y I claim: l. A folding frame comprising a top bar formed with a slot near each end, and a pair j connecting said shank portion of the hook of pivoted supporting legs, the end of'ea'ch leg being stamped out to forml afingerfgintegral with the body of the leg, said fingers being adaptedto engage said slot and form a locking device to secure the legsV to the top bar when said legs are unfolded.l A .n

2. A folding frame lcomprising Aa top bar of yangle metal formed Witha slot near each end,v anda pair Iof pivoted supporting legs of angle metal; the end ofeach leg being stamped out toy form e finger integral with the body of the leg,Y saidA fingers being adapted to v,engage saidslotl and form a locking deviceto secure the legs to the top bar when said legs are unfolded.` y y ,Y y

3. In a folding frame comprising a top bar of angle metal and a pair of legs, a hook member formed of a single fiat plate; having a tenon extending through a slot provided thereforvin the apex of the top bar p and headed over rigidly to secure the hook member-to the top bar, a shank portion, and an integral hook7 and links pivotally member and Sai/d legsfn a folding frame comprising a top barv and a pair ofvlegs, a hook member formed of a single pieceof metal having a tenon :extending through a vslot provided therefor ,in thewtop bar rigidly to secure Athe hook membery to lthe top bar, a shank portion A andr an integral hook7 and, links pivo'taily connectingv said/,shank portion of the hook memberv and said legs. l l`Signed by me atBoston,vMassachusetts, this tenth d eyefl August, 1914:. l y y y l Y Y Y LOUlS l. BECKVVTH,

vWitnessesr i a Y nl Ronn'r CUSHMAN,r RICHARDV. HALL.

VCopies of this `patent may-be obtained for rive cents eaczhjwby rajric're-ssing4 the. Comms's'onerof Patents, Washington, D. C. Y Y' f y v 

